An Unlikely Encounter
by bunniko
Summary: First season, only Moon, Mars and Mercury. Mercury and Mars confront a Youma in the park and call Usagi. As she seeks out a place to transform, Mamoru, feeling her urgency, is doing the same. By a quirk of fate, they find themselves, midtransformation,
1. The Encounter

AN: I wrote this a long time ago for the DGRFA OHC mailing list. It is 8 chapters and completed, but the sequel has long sat on my key drive, waiting to be continued. I've been very busy with real life, gearing up for a new career and now that my path has twisted unexpectedly beneath my feet, I have the time to write again. It is my hope that posting this story here will not only give me the impetus to write again, but will inspire me to continue on with the sequel. It is a story that has been dear to my heart and often in my mind, but does not flow easily to paper. Further, in an odd quirk of fate, my boyfriend (who lovingly bought me a top-of-the-line laptop just for writing purposes) wonders if I can only write on my 1996 Hewlett-Packard desktop that is so old I can't even connect it to the Internet. Anyway, let me know what you think.

Spring was in the air, its cool breeze stirring the cherry and plum blossoms. School bells had rung, releasing all but the unfortunate from their halls. Mizuno Ami didn't have a cram school session that day and Hino Rei had suggested they head over to the park while they waited for their best friend, Tsukino Usagi, to serve her time in detention.

They were dressed in their usual school uniforms, Ami's blue and Rei's red. Having bought some rice dumplings from a vendor, they were nibbling at the pink, white and green balls of sweet dough and chatting about daydreams. Both girls were tired from too many sleepless nights doing senshi duty. But when screams erupted from the nearby children's playground, both girls forgot their weariness and dove behind some bushes to transform.

Power wrapped around the girls, transforming them dramatically. Where only a moment ago average students had stood, now powerful warriors were revealed. They didn't need to look at each other or around them. As one, they leapt over the hedge and several cowering citizens, homing in on the site of the screams.

As they ran, Mars puffed out, "Can we call Moon?"

Mercury checked her watch, the shook her head. "Too early, she won't be out for another 7 minutes."

"Stupid Odango." Mars muttered in annoyance.

They skidded to a halt, still concealed by a few trees. The youma had a child in its claws and a frightened mother was crying in desperation. The youma was tall, ugly, and covered in odd scales that shifted the light into various shades. It was vaguely human, its scales seeming to form a long gown from bust to feet. The scale-less parts of it were a nauseous shade of purple.

Mars burst out, creating a small pyrotechnic effect to announce her arrival. "Release that child, in the name of Mars!" she cried out.

Mercury released a fog that gave the other children ample cover to scamper away. Only the mother and the captive child remained.

"Now can we?" Mars asked in a whisper.

Shaking her head again, Mercury murmured, "Just a few more minutes."

Mars looked worried for a moment, then her face brightened. "Well, it'll serve her right if we take care this one ourselves." Mercury didn't look as certain, but Mars egged her on. As the fog slowly lifted, the two senshi placed themselves directly before the distraught mother.

"Hey, ugly!" Mars taunted. Mercury cast her a disbelieving look. The youma gave her a puzzled one. "Put that kid down, now. How dare you threaten the lives of all these innocent children! In the name of Mars, I will punish you!"

Mercury realized that Mars might be on to something. Youma always stared dumbly at them while they spouted their speeches, so they might be able to buy a few minutes, long enough for her to call Usagi and hopefully have her show up to finish it. Glancing at the watch, she realized she could now call their leader. She pushed the button that allowed the watch to become a communicator while Mars spoke. When Usagi answered, Mercury began her own spiel.

"People come to the park to enjoy the pleasant respite of spring. You have threatened their happiness and peace! I will not allow you to harm this child. In the name of Mercury, I will send you to the winter of evil's just desserts! Mercury Bubbles Blast!" Mercury released the fog directly at the youma, giving Mars the cover she needed to attempt to wrest the child free.

Usagi froze on the sidewalk. Mercury and Mars were in a battle, in the park! Oh, drat Haruna-sensei for giving her detention yet again! Mentally, the small blonde wailed that it wasn't her fault she was kept awake half the night and fell asleep in classes! If only she could tell her grouchy teacher the real reason she was always tired! But the scream of the youma emanating from her watch communicator effectively silenced her laments. Fear for her friends burned within her and she sought out the first available alley. She had to get to the park!

Walking in the opposite direction, vaguely looking forward to the inevitable afternoon collision with Usagi, was Mamoru. Oblivious to the events in the park, the sting in his heart that alerted him to Sailor Moon's fear almost overpowered him. He grabbed at his chest, feeling a bit dizzy, feeling her panic and terror rushing through him. He struggled to hold in the transformation, the resistance to it burning him like fire. He staggered into the nearest alley, almost falling to his knees in the relief of allowing the transformation to overwhelm him.

Usagi had found an alley and just shouted her words when she heard someone enter the alley. Frightened, she knew it was too late to stop her uniform from melting away, to slow the ribbons from bursting out about her, or to dull the pink light radiating from her. But she could twist just enough to see who it was. When her eyes fell on the intruder, her heart jumped clear into her throat.

Once the power blossomed around him, Mamoru felt his senses sharpen. He heard a gasp of surprise and looked up. Pink light, bare legs and red ribbons swirled before his eyes. He couldn't stop his eyes from traveling up that slender body anymore than he could stop the sun from rising. He knew who he had stumbled upon, but nothing could stop him from finding out who she was underneath that tiara. His eyes found her face and it was like a physical blow.

The transformations ended, with Mamoru's physical attributes far more concealed that Usagi's had been. Mamoru was trying to deal with what he now knew. He'd seen just what Usagi's schoolgirl uniform left to his imagination but what her Sailor Moon uniform barely concealed. That was one dilemma. The more ramifying one, however, was that Usagi was Sailor Moon! Not to mention that fact that his cover was blown. Not good, he thought as coherently as possible. Not good.

Usagi's mind was screaming as well. Mamoru? The jerk, the baka? He was Tuxedo Kamen-sama? That was it, she threw her hands up mentally, the world was officially unfair! For some reason, the fact that he knew who she was hadn't yet grasped her mind. The only thing she could think of was that her biggest crush was the guy who constantly ridiculed her and put her down. Her eyes filled with tears. Luckily, another scream burst from her watch, overpowering any other feelings. Her friends were in danger. She moved to push past Tuxedo Kamen.

He caught her, pulling her close to him, willing her to look at him. When she did, he was unprepared for the tears in her eyes or the look of coldness she sent him. Feeling sucker punched, he couldn't stop her from slipping free and racing towards the park. He could only stare after her in shock. She was running away from him! He tightened a gloved fist in frustration, welcoming the cool breeze's distraction. As it chilled him a bit, he remembered the reason they had transformed. There was a battle raging somewhere. He ran after her, blindly following the feeling of her in his mind that somehow unerringly guided him to her.

"About time, Odango!" Mars snapped, when Sailor Moon finally burst onto the scene. But her irritation was cut short when she got a good look at their leader's face. Moon looked devastated, humiliated and angry. A dark shadow suddenly moving in behind Moon gave Mars more questions than answers. She stared at his face, seeing desire, anger and confusion. She could sense conflicting emotions roiling off the two and her concern mounted.

Moon didn't prattle or tell the monster she would never forgive it. She gave it a cursory glance, then sent her tiara speeding into it. The mutated life form gave out a disappointed howl and crumbled into dust. Sailor Moon didn't cheer. She didn't even smile. She turned her back on the pile that had once been a dangerous enemy and glanced at her friends, pointedly ignoring the caped hero.

Mars tried to josh her leader into some semblance of her former self. "Yeah, well, we softened it up for ya, Moon-face." Her worry grew as Moon simply gazed at her.

"You two okay?" she asked, her voice deadly quiet. Mercury and Mars nodded, exchanging confused glances. "Good. Sorry I was late." Moon then turned on her heel and walked off.

Tuxedo Kamen made as if to follow, but Mercury and Mars interfered. "Oh no, you don't pal." Mars pushed him back. "What did you do to her?" she demanded.

Tuxedo Kamen was in no mood for her. He wanted to talk to Usagi and he wanted to talk to her now. "Go home, Rei-san." he told her coldly. Mars went still with utter shock. Mercury squeaked. He took advantage of their distraction to leap away, tailing the storming blonde.

Usagi, still in her alter-ego form as Sailor Moon, kept her anger wrapped about her to keep her sadness at bay. Oh how she had hoped Tuxedo Kamen was Motoki-san. Why did it have to be that horrid Mamoru-baka? She kicked a loose pebble. It just wasn't fair! And why was he following her? Did he have to rub it in? Couldn't he just forget about what he had seen? She could hear his teasing now, demanding to know how the world's biggest crybaby could be a superhero. She didn't even know how she could be a superhero! But she got enough from Rei, she really didn't need it from him, too.

Mamoru had dropped his Tuxedo Kamen transformation as soon as he could. She wasn't trying to escape using her powers, so he figured he didn't need to use his. He trailed after her, and when she finally went into an alley, he smiled. Lurking outside it, feeling like a stalker, but needing to talk to her, he waited for the flash of pink light to fade.

He heard her shuffling her way out of the alley, so he moved to block the entrance. He felt a bit guilty when he saw a trace of fear flash across her face, but when her belligerence set in, he felt he couldn't bear it. He couldn't let this hostile form of interaction continue. "Usagi-chan, I want to talk to you and the girls." It wasn't what he had intended to say, but it was a better plan than what his libido was telling him to do. He wondered what Rei would do to him if she caught him kissing the daylights out of a probably unwilling Usagi in the middle of a dirty alley. Come to think of it, he frowned deeper, he didn't like the idea of Usagi being in an alley, let alone transforming in one. Didn't this girl realize how dangerous that was?

Usagi was stunned. Mamoru had used her real name! And it sounded so good coming from him! She liked the way her name sounded on his lips. Alarmed at her wayward thoughts, she focused in on his face. He wanted to meet with the girls? He must know who they were. It couldn't really be that hard to figure out their identities. She suddenly grew chilled, watching his frown deepen. She knew he was mad, really mad. His eyes were so cold, much colder than usual. She licked her lips, nervously, not noting the way his eyes were drawn to her tongue's movement. "Al-alright." she stuttered. "But, I need to tell them first. Can I," she nearly choked, "call you?"

Mamoru either didn't notice or chose to ignore her awkwardness. He simply jotted the number down and handed it to her. Finding him even more difficult to deal with than she had thought she would, she took the paper, hastily thanked him and made as if to run away. He caught her arm, and she shivered. "Tonight, Usagi-chan." Gulping, the nervous blonde nodded. She sighed audibly when he released her and she ran like a frightened rabbit.

He watched her go, feeling like he'd just lost something precious. "Til tonight, Sailor Moon." he promised.


	2. Telling the Others

AN: Well, day 2 chapter 2 :). I don't like being able to see the hit counts for stories. 222 hits and 2 reviews? No wonder so many authors beg for reviews /shrugs/. Oh well, I won't beg for reviews because they aren't what I write for. They just make me happy and sometimes help me improve. So thank you to cosmoscrystal96 and Akamery -- you made me smile! I stated in my profile that I would update this story with a chapter a day until all 8 chapters are posted. Then I will post the first chapter of the sequel and hopefully have even more written and ready to go. But, I have other stories to post up as well, so my once daily uploading of something should continue through January. Just an FYI /grin/. 12-26-06 PS: This chapter has two of my favorite lines I've ever written in it.

As soon as Usagi was out of Mamoru's sight, she found herself another isolated place to call the girls. She knew that they were worried about her and she was sorry for that. As she spoke to Rei, she could hear suspicion and concern giving the miko's voice an even harder edge than usual. She promised to explain later, at 6 PM, at the jinja. Rei and Ami agreed to meet there. Now she just had to go home and explain to her parents that she would be out again tonight.

Usagi sighed. She felt like her entire life was becoming a lie and it was no surprise to her that it was already coming unraveled. That Tuxedo Kamen had found out her identity and, most likely, Sailor Mercury and Sailor Mars's as well, was actually not all that tragic. It would have been much worse if the person had been someone who didn't have his own secrets to hide. Yet, Usagi couldn't help feeling guilty about all the lies, to her parents, to her friends, even to herself.

The worst part about being discovered was that it would be yet more proof she didn't know what she was doing. Mars and Mercury seemed to have instincts governing their behavior on the battlefield. She usually stood there in shock or ran around wailing until someone, usually Tuxedo Kamen, told her what to do. Sure, there were times when she was strong and dependable. But they were as few and far between as the times she didn't get detention. It all added up to a great deal of stress on the young girl. She knew Luna and Rei would yell, and she really hated being yelled at!

After all, she grew up in a very well-to-do family, able to afford a house in Tokyo when many of the richest people had to settle for apartments. Her parents were loving and protective. Perhaps they spoiled her a bit. As a child, they'd almost never raised their voices at her. But the older she'd gotten, the clumsier she'd become. She could never seem to get enough sleep and her grades were abysmal. Luna yelled a lot, as did Rei, which discomfited the flighty blonde.

Usagi paused outside the gate to her house, shaking off the gloomy thoughts. She'd have to hurry to make it back to Hikawa, she realized. Putting on a bright face, she breezed in, shouting out her return to her mother.

"Usagi! You're late!" her mother scolded lightly. When was Usagi never late? She was learning to deal with it. "I'll be ready with dinner soon. We're having tempura and shrimp udon."

Usagi's stomach growled approvingly, but Usagi sighed. Just her luck. "Sounds great Mom, but I have a study session tonight at Rei's."

Her mother frowned. "But, I thought you went to one last night."

Usagi nodded, "Yes, but we're having another, to prepare for a big math test." At least there really was a math test coming up, Usagi thought thankfully. The only lie there was that she wouldn't be studying.

Ikuko sighed, "Alright, I'll keep some for you if you want a snack when you get home. Try not to be too late, Usagi. And be careful."

Usagi nodded, then flew upstairs to change and leave some of her textbooks behind. Of course, she'd need her blasted ten-pound math book. Double-checking to make sure she had Mamoru's phone number, she blew out of the house like a whirlwind, tossing out a "Be back soon!" to her bewildered family.

The bus had been a little late and Usagi was forced to run up the million steps to Hikawa Jinja. Oh well, she shrugged, as her stomach protested its empty state, at least this would help burn a few calories. She made it to the top just as the clock struck 6 PM. Rei was already standing at the door, obviously having anticipated Usagi's tardiness. She seemed a bit disappointed.

Rei and Ami had decided to get ramen ordered in, so while they waited for the deliveryman, the three girls set out their textbooks and papers, just in case Grandpa peeked in. Luna was curled up in the corner. From her position, she studied Usagi's face. She felt a nameless fear settle in. Whatever had happened to Usagi today was still stamped on the girl's face. Chagrin, shame, embarrassment, unhappiness, maybe even a little bit of excitement. Luna couldn't figure it out.

Only once the ramen had arrived and the girls were devouring it before it could cool did Usagi begin to explain. "I . . . We have a problem, minna." Her look took in Luna as well, so Luna approached. "When Ami called me and told me there was a battle on, I slipped into the first alley to transform. But I wasn't alone."

Luna's jaw was gaping. "Someone knows your true identity?" she howled. Ami and Rei looked similarly stunned.

Usagi nodded miserably. "There was nothing I could do. He came in after me and I was already transforming."

The change in Luna was almost funny. Every strand of fur on her little body was standing straight up. Her eyes seemed to go as red as a youma's and those dangerous little claws were fully extended. When she spoke, it was through an angry snarl. "Some man saw you transforming? I'll claw his eyes out!"

Ami was poleaxed by Luna's vicious attitude. She was even more surprised by Rei, who had stood up, eyes promising vengeance. "Don't worry, Usagi-chan. The Sailor Senshi will teach that peeping tom a lesson or two. Who was it?" When Usagi didn't answer right away, the fiery miko leaned forward, invading the small blonde's space. "Don't protect the hentai, Usagi! Who was it!"

Ami and Usagi exchanged a glance. Ami was angry as well, but she was figuring out the logistics of calming down Luna and Rei first, then hunting down the pervert who had seen their leader naked.

Usagi held out her hands. "It's not like that!" she insisted. Ami couldn't think why Usagi would be protecting the guy from the righteous wrath of the senshi. "He didn't follow me into the alley. He came in by accident."

"Sure he did." Rei sneered. "Usagi-chan, you're so naïve. Your dad would beat this guy to a bloody pulp if he knew. And since we can't tell your dad, I'll do it."

"But Rei," Usagi wailed, "you don't understand!"

Ami placed a hand on Usagi's shoulder. "Did he hurt you, Usagi-chan?"

Luna hissed and Rei began to mutter death threats.

Hurt her? Usagi looked at Ami in confusion. Mamoru had held her, but he hadn't made her stay. Or tried to do much more than talk to her. She shivered a little as she remembered the way she'd felt when he'd said her name. Ami watched Usagi's eyes go dreamy for a moment and began to worry. Luckily, Rei and Luna were now so busy talking to each other about the best way to deal with the hentai creep that they didn't notice.

Usagi cleared her throat. "Okay, minna. Hush and listen." Three heads swung at her in surprise. Usagi was filled with determination. "First of all, you can quit planning to kill anyone. The man that saw me transform was Tuxedo Kamen-sama."

There was a collective, "Ahhhh!" as three minds suddenly understood just why Usagi was so mad at him during the fight today. Tuxedo Kamen knew who she was!

Rei's eyes narrowed again. "You revealed your identity to Tuxedo Kamen! And you flashed him!" Her voice became shrill. "You idiot! You ditz!" She punctuated her insults with her seat cushion, whapping Usagi in the head.

Ami was no less thrilled. "If Tuxedo Kamen-sama knows who you are, then surely he has guessed who we are." Her quiet words chilled the group.

Luna added ice to their fear. "Worse than that, since we do not know for certain if he is on our side or what his purpose is. So far, he has aided us in battle. But there is no guarantee that he is on our side any more than that he is not on Beryl's."

The girls were quiet, until Usagi piped up. "Well, why don't we ask him?" Although Rei and Ami both sent her incredulous looks, she continued. "What I haven't been able to tell you yet is that he came into the alley to transform as well. I know who he is, too."

Rei worked out the ramifications of this quicker than all of the others. "You saw Tuxedo Kamen naked?" her voice dropped to a whisper. Usagi turned an extremely deep shade of red. Ami's pinkened as well, the thought of seeing any man naked, even the drawings in her anatomy books, made her embarrassed.

"Well, um, sort of." Usagi replied, mumbling.

Luna didn't know if she should scold or cry. Her charge was sneaking about alleys looking at naked superheroes? She shook her head, trying to keep the facts straight. "So, this is neither Usagi's fault, nor Tuxedo Kamen's?" she repeated.

"You saw Tuxedo Kamen naked!" Rei kept whispering, awe and shock and maybe even a twinge of jealousy all coloring her new mantra's tone.

Usagi was desperately trying to ignore Rei. "Yes, Luna, it's not my fault. And it's not his." She bit her lip. "Though I was really angry at him." She put her hands over her face and wailed. "I yelled at Tuxedo Kamen-sama!" But as soon as the wail had left her mouth, she remembered anew just whose face lurked under the mask and she felt less upset about the fact that she had yelled. "Now that he knows who I am, he'll never like me." she finished miserably.

Ami's curiosity was peaked and she leaned forward eagerly. "But, who is he?"

Usagi swiped at the tears she now had running down her face. "Hmm? Oh. Well, I don't know if I should . . . you see, he wants to have a meeting, tonight." she looked at Luna hard. "With all of us."

"All of you?" Luna echoed. "No, they must not reveal their identities!"

"But, Luna, chances are, if he knows Usagi-chan, or if he finds out more about her, he either already knows who we are or will find out easily enough. If any one of our identities is revealed, all of ours will be."

Luna lowered her head, her ears bent back to show her distaste for this. "I can't believe we've barely started on our search for the princess and the Crystal and already our cover is blown."

Usagi began to cry. "I'm sorry, Luna!"

Rei shook her head, for once deciding against adding to the blonde's guilt. "If he wants a meeting, we can meet him in the park, in our fuku. We can proceed from there." She had already decided she wasn't going to tell Luna that Tuxedo Kamen had called her by her real name. It could have just been a lucky guess, anyway.

Like magic, Usagi's eyes dried. "Good idea, Rei-chan!"

Ami nodded. "It seems like the best choice. The park will be neutral ground. It won't allow any leaps of intuition to our identities." She exchanged a meaningful glance with Rei, indicating she had decided to keep that fact a secret, for now.

Usagi nodded. "Okay, I'll call him." She slipped from the outer room into Rei's inner room. Pulling out the crumpled paper, she hastily dialed Mamoru's number. When he answered, she spoke quickly and protected his identity. "Tuxedo Kamen-sama," she whispered breathily. "They've agreed to meet you, tonight at the park." He replied, then hung up.

The three girls and the cat quickly arranged the room to look like they had fallen asleep. Then they slipped out and away from the jinja, only transforming once they had neared the park. The full moon shone down on them, and Usagi took a moment to admire the rabbit in the moon. A soft rustling in the bushes caught their attention, and the senshi turned to face Tuxedo Kamen. Yet, the nomenclature was only part correct, for he had removed his hat and mask.

"Mamoru-san!"


	3. Meeting in the Park

AN: Chapter 3! Thank you to Yasaboo, meatballheadedprincess14, KaBunny (love your name), guitarbabe2005, and OoOSakuraOoO for reviewing! I sent you all replies, hopefully they got to you. If not, you can always email me and let me know. I wanted to make sure that I noted something about this fic before I go further. It was written as an OHC – a One Hour Challenge. I used one or more challenges (a sentence or scene from the DGRFA mailing list) and then had one hour (and only one hour) in which to write each chapter. So I know that the chapters are short, but I'm not one who thinks that length equals quality. I'll just further note that the sequel is not an OHC.

Tuxedo Kamen stood there, mask dangling carelessly from his left hand, a rakish grin on his face. All three of the senshi suddenly found it a bit hard to breathe. Only Usagi had ever seen Mamoru in a tux, but that had been at their first meeting and an easily a forgotten detail in light of his insulting remarks. But with added cape and that amused, confident, far too sexy grin, even shy Mercury's heart was flip-flopping.

The three girls had gotten separated, partially due to Moon stopping to admire the full moon and the shadowy rabbit eternally making rice cakes on its surface. Mars was the furthest into the park of the three, therefore the farthest from Tuxedo Kamen. Mercury was about halfway, having turned abruptly when she realized Moon was no longer beside her. Mars and Mercury were almost openly gaping, the fact that Chiba Mamoru was Tuxedo Kamen only slowly beginning to penetrate their brains.

Moon, of course, already knew his secret identity, so the only shock she was suffering was just how good he looked. He'd also entered just in front of her, so he was close enough to hear her breathe, "Damn! He's so hot!"

His rakish smile widened and he leaned in, murmuring for her ears only, "Flattery will get you nowhere . . . however, a kiss and I'm all yours." He let his eyes rest on her lips for emphasis, but did not fail to note the way she suddenly stiffened, then went excruciatingly red. In fact, he was quite intrigued to notice that even her throat was blushing.

Moon took a step back from his suddenly too-intense proximity. Her eyes were glued to his as her face flamed in what she knew was the most embarrassingly red blush of her life. Almost immediately, Mercury was in front of her, glaring at Tuxedo Kamen disapprovingly. Moon released just the tiniest mewl of a whimper, prompting Mercury to whirl to face her, concerned.

"Usagi-chan, what's wrong?"

Moon had buried her face in her hands, so her words came out both muffled and mumbled. "You know, I think the most embarrassing thing in the entire world is your crush finding out that you like them! I'm going to wish the Earth would open up and swallow me now!" she moaned dramatically.

Mercury had to smile at her leader's dramatics, even though she sympathized with the embarrassed girl. She didn't know which was worse for her friend, the fact that the guy that ridiculed her constantly was also her hero, or the fact that her hero was already claimed by Rei in real life. She cast a glance over at Mars, who was still standing there, a strange look on her face. Mercury knew Mars hadn't heard whatever Tuxedo Kamen had said, but she knew she had to be thinking along the same lines as Mercury herself. Mamoru-san was Rei's guy, but Tuxedo Kamen was Moon's. Could their already super-charged friendship survive this?

Mars finally seemed to recover herself and she took charge, crossing the space that separated her from the small group with a determined look on her face. "Mamoru-san, I should have guessed." Her voice was flat, though not unfriendly.

Tuxedo Kamen slipped his mask and hat back on, allowing himself an insolent smile as he did. "I should have guessed as well. All three of you have so much in common with your daytime identities."

"Oh really?" Mars challenged.

Tuxedo Kamen reclined comfortably against a tree. Moon was still intimately looking at her hands, but Mercury had turned to face him, a serious, almost sad look in her eye. "But of course. Odango Atama and Sailor Moon both have the loudest wail in all of Japan, Rei-san and Mars are both uncommonly mean to her and both Ami-san and Mercury spend most of their time mediating between the two. I won't mention the physical similarities." He smirked at Mars as her hand reflexively clenched and unclenched. He was vaguely aware that he had hurt Moon's feelings, for he was certain he heard her sniffling. A twinge of conscious pricked him, but he decided to comment on Mars a little further, seeing as she had challenged him. "And Rei-san's legendary temper! How could I have missed that Mars has that very same quality."

Mars could feel her temper boiling, but wasn't completely grateful when Mercury stepped in to ask the burning question, "Mamoru-san," her quiet voice caught everyone's attention and she pinkened a bit. "I-I mean, Tuxedo Kamen-sama, um, please, whose side are you on? "

Tuxedo Kamen stiffened. He really hadn't expected that question, though he knew they had every right to ask him. Now, finally, Moon was looking at him again. He found himself wishing she wasn't, wishing he couldn't see the hope and trust in her eyes. He watched her closely, even as he forced himself to speak the truth, "Mine." The flat, cold word hung in the night air, and Moon's head once again hung, disappointment rolling off her.

Mercury, also disappointed, pressed the point. "Then why do you join us in our battles?"

He shook his head. "I don't. I merely help even the odds a bit. I am not on Beryl's side anymore than you girls are. But all I want to do is find the Ginzuishou."

Sailor Moon's head shot up. "Why? Why are you seeking the Ginzuishou?"

He shook his head. He would not tell anyone of his dream princess. She was too . . . precious to him. She tormented him, but still, she was his. Only his. The three were clearly not pleased by his silence.

"You demanded this meeting to learn our identities." Mars blurted. "Why?"

"Not to learn, to confirm. Once I knew who Sailor Moon really was, it was quite easy to determine who Mercury and Mars were. But I wanted to be sure." A sardonic grin crossed his face. "And, since I'm sure she's already told you how we discovered each other's identity," he paused to watch Moon flush even brighter than before, "I thought I should reveal my identity to you two, before you decided to beat me up."

"I might still yet." Mars promised darkly, her face dusky still with the anger that had never really left her. She wasn't really sure why, but the idea that anyone had peeped on her friend, even accidentally, made her furious.

Tuxedo Kamen made an injured face and held his hands up. "I swear I didn't mean to." He paused, then said the stupidest words of his life. "But it was worth it."

Sailor Moon gave him her best deer-in-the-headlights look, then crossed the short distance between them and slapped his face. Hard. He swore she slapped the smirk clean off his face. She stepped back, eyes shooting blue fire. Behind her, two very angry senshi had taken up flanking positions.

Tuxedo Kamen placed his hand over the stinging slap mark and stared at the three girls with marked discomfort. His cocky attitude left him, because he realized they were looking at him with a distaste they usually reserved for Jedite and Nephrite. He swallowed hard, his brain screaming at him about the ramifications of pissing off three senshi. "I'm sorry?" he managed weakly, dodging the tree at his back and preparing to run. He paled a bit when Mars began preparing her Fire Soul attack. The only thing he could think of to do was grab Sailor Moon against him like a shield.

Sailor Moon had let herself get distracted by thoughts of Mars toasting Mamoru-baka to a crisp. She let out a startled "eep" when she realized black-sleeved arms were reaching for her, but it was too late. She was spun about to face her friends and clutched against a hard chest before the sound finished leaving her throat. His arm was wrapped securely about her middle and she felt that familiar Tuxedo Kamen-induced stupor stealing over her.

"What are you doing?"

Tuxedo Kamen didn't reply. He evaluated the two remaining senshi and decided to be a man about this. Three pissed off females was hell. Two was just about lethal. He could handle one, maybe. Of the three, Mercury would be the easiest to deal with, but it was Moon he had and Moon he wanted. So in the age-old style of men dating back to the cavemen days, he scooped her up and ran, leaping into the branches above for cover.

Sailor Mars let out the most horrendous howl he'd ever heard. Nearly scared him out of the tree. Mercury, however, released her fog, slowing his progress. He had clamped his free hand over Sailor Moon's mouth, to prevent her from calling out, but he was surprised when she didn't bite him or struggle. He figured she was saving all her attacks for when he put her down.

Miraculously, to his way of thinking, and unfortunately, to her way of thinking, they escaped. He took her over rooftops until a sound caught his attention. He paused in the shadows atop an apartment building and spoke softly. "You're beeping."

She struggled out of his arms and pulled away from him, trying to put distance between them so she could think clearly. "Of course I am," she snapped, "the girls must be panicked by now." She opened her communicator watch and turned her back on him. "I'm fine, I'll be back soon." She gave Ami no time to speak, severing the connection and closing the popup top.

"Panicked?" he queried carefully.

He had never seen her this prickly. She was furious, insulted and ready to kick his ass for that comment back in the park. "What were you thinking? Rei-chan and Ami-chan already wanted to beat you up, now they'll want to kill you! Pervert!" she spat.

As worried as the thought of Rei with murder on her mind made him, he forced himself to shrug. "And what do you want?"

"I'm so embarrassed and humiliated." she confided softly, looking at her boots.

"Usagi-san," he began gently, really feeling contrite, "I am so sorry. I . . ."

"I wish I'd never met you!" she yelled, her head flying up. The words were like a physical blow and before he had recovered from them, she was gone. He raced to the edge of the roof to see where she had gone, but he was too late.

"Smooth one, Chiba." he muttered darkly. His stupid mouth had ruined his tenuous bond with the senshi. Now he needed a new plan to make them forgive him. Especially Usagi, he thought. Especially her.


	4. Decisions and Distractions

AN: Okay, this chapter is intended to show just how young our heroines are. As you can probably tell by the names I use and the fact that I call Rei "miko" (meaning "shrine maiden"), that I emphasize Hikawa Jinja as a Shinto shrine (it is not a temple), and that I like to have my characters eat authentic Japanese foods, I am not a NA dub fan. I admit that the dub is how I "met" Sailor Moon, but I soon realized it wasn't giving us the real picture. I've thought about whether or not to edit out my Japanese and I've come to the conclusion that it is too personal to me to take out. If this causes problems, I am sorry. I am willing to post a definitions list at the end of chapters if readers would prefer, just let me know in a review or PM. A little background on this chapter: Usagi likes to drown her sorrows in food and I play that up a bit in my fanfics, but I didn't want to go the stereotypical ice cream/ cheesecake route. Yes, while in Japan, I, too, drowned heartaches in ice cream and cheesecake. But mostly, I went for the tasty salty snacks and unusual candies found in the convenience stores (conbini), especially potato chip flavors I can't find here in the US. So for novelty, I had the senshi do that, too. Well, this AN is too long, so very quickly: thank you to Yasaboo, moonburnscars, supersaiyanx, Comet Moon, and OoOSakuraOoO!! 12-28-06 PS: All the snacks are real except one, bet you can guess which one!

Rei and Ami paced back and forth in front of Luna. Luna's voice was hushed, but her tone was harsh. Both girls' heads hung low as she berated them about letting Tuxedo Kamen escape with their leader in tow. The fact that Sailor Moon had answered her summons quickly and had assured them she was fine and would be home soon did nothing to appease the guardian feline. The cat's red eyes glowed hotly and both girls felt like they had betrayed, or at the very least, failed their best friend and leader.

When Usagi stormed in, Luna was cut short, her mouth frozen open as she fell silent in shock. Usagi was pale with anger; her hands shook a bit. She pinned Luna with a quelling glare. "It is not their fault, Luna. If Mars had attacked, she would have flambéd me."

Rei gave Usagi a weak grin, but she was upset by how visibly shook up Usagi was. She crossed the small room, intent on comforting her friend, or at least getting more information with which to justify an attack on Mamoru. Usagi, however, held up her hands in a silent request for patience and time. Sinking down onto one of the cushions by the low table, she placed her head on her hands. The three exchanged a glance before taking up the remaining three positions at the table, Luna settling on the tabletop.

After a few moments of awkward silence and building anxious impatience, Usagi threw back her head and took a deep calming breath. She gave her friends a patently false smile, but the determined look in her eyes told them one thing. She was still angry, but she was trying to control it. "Rei-chan, do you have any snacks?" she asked hopefully.

Rei and Ami smiled at each other before pulling out two convenience store bags. "We anticipated you." Ami busied herself setting out the myriad snacks they had bought after confirming Sailor Moon was alright and before they returned to face Luna's anger. Luna sighed, even though she understood Usagi's adrenaline-inspired hunger.

Among the snack foods were the requisite potato chips. Usagi's favorite, seaweed-garnished; Rei's favorite, soy sauce and garlic; and Ami's guilty binge, roasted sea-salt flavor, were set out in color-coded bowls. There were wasabi-spiced strips of seaweed, popcorn and chocolates as well. The girls munched away happily for a few minutes, with no comments until Usagi took a long sip of her hot tea and sighed softly, leaning away from table a bit. The other three took their cues from her and stopped munching long enough to listen to her.

"Well," she sighed, "ask away."

All three opened their mouths, but Rei was fastest. "Did he do anything, Usagi-chan? Did he hurt you?"

The blonde met the brunette's eyes, "Only my feelings. Nothing new about that." A sardonic edge tinted her words. "It was like Mamoru-baka had possessed Tuxedo Kamen-sama. It wasn't," she paused for a moment, searching for words. "He . . . he wasn't his usual suave, aloof self." She frowned in confusion, trying to put her finger on what she meant.

Ami nodded. "Yes, I know, Usagi-chan. He seemed as if he was baiting us, trying to irritate us. Not unlike his usual behavior in the arcade or on the street."

Rei grimaced, "I understand how you feel now, Usa-chan. He'd never been rude to me before. It's so . . . arrogant."

Usagi frowned at her tea. She really didn't want to be having this discussion. Mamoru was cold, cruel, and a complete jerk, and yet he was the man that saved her on a sometimes-nightly basis. How could he be so intriguing and wonderful when disguised and so horrible and irritating at all other times? Luna raised her invisible eyebrows when Usagi failed to launch into one of her favorite topics, which generally was that Mamoru was a socially unredeemable person.

"What happened after you two disappeared?" Ami queried, her face showing her worry.

Usagi's eyes looked sad and angry at once. "Until Ami-chan called me, we just, well, he just ran. When the watch began beeping, he stopped and put me down. After that, I told him you two were likely to kill him and I told him I hated him." She blushed embarrassedly before confessing in a small voice, "I called him a pervert."

Rei smothered a smirk, but she decided it was best to leave the subject alone. Mamoru hadn't attacked her, just embarrassed and angered her. She had readily relinquished her previous claim to Mamoru while walking home from the convenience store with Ami. She'd seen and felt the emotions careening around inside Mamoru and she knew similar ones were rioting in Usagi's mind and soul. There was no use in pushing any further. Ami and Luna would follow her lead, she knew. A glance at Ami instigated their plan to change Usagi's mood.

"Well, since he has made it clear he is not on our side, perhaps it is best if we avoid him. At least until he has decided what he stands for." Ami suggested. Luna and Rei nodded in agreement.

Usagi sighed. "This means more practice, doesn't it?" No one answered her. No one needed to. "Alright." Usagi sighed, bidding good-bye to even more sleep.

Ami dug underneath her cushion, deciding it was time to change topics. She pulled out a small bag and spilled out the small, strange candies. Rei and Usagi leaned forward, their hair pooling together as they stared at the odd-looking candies. "Here you go." The blue-haired girl grinned like a demon as she placed one in Usagi's hand.

"What is it?"

Ami lifted the package and read. "It's candy made from small fish and caramelized natto."

Usagi looked at her. Natto was one of her least favorite foods. Point in fact, she had never actually eaten it. The fermented bean curd's strong, unpleasant odor was enough to keep the girl far away from the traditional breakfast food. "They call that candy?"

An evil light appeared in Rei's eyes. "Dare you to eat it."

Usagi dropped the candy and literally moved away from the table. "Ew! No way! I'm not putting that in my mouth!" She wrinkled her nose in distaste, but found Rei and Ami had invaded her space, the candy in Rei's left hand.

"Come on! Just try it." Rei urged, egging her on. She was pleased to see the change in Usagi as they distracted her from the day's events with tried-and-true youthful pranking. Ami even had a camera tucked under the cushion that they might capture Usagi's expression as she ate the weird candy.

"Afraid?" Ami teased gently.

Usagi faced her tormenters and realized she had no choice. They would tease her mercilessly if she wimped out. "Alright." she sighed in defeat. She snatched the small, strange looking candy from Rei's hand and, before she could think twice about it, popped it in her mouth. Her mouth worked valiantly as she crunched through candy.

"Well?" Luna prompted, unable to believe she had eaten the weird food.

"I don't know, it tastes kinda funny." she murmured around it. It took her awhile to manage to swallow it. And, to their shock, she pushed past them to munch on a few more. "Not bad, really." she stated.

Buying it, Ami and Rei also tried one. Their faces soon contorted in disgust and they quickly gulped their tea. Usagi burst out laughing, all the strain and anger and worry temporarily pushed aside by the warmth of good friends and the triumph of fooling them into eating the disgusting things. A moment later, the first cushion came crashing down on her head as they entered into a pillow fight that made Rei's grandpa very glad that the shrine was fairly isolated.

Across town, Mamoru stared out into the night, completely unaware that the object of his thoughts was engaged in a childish game with her friends while he searched for away to make amends to the three girls that had become so important to him.


	5. Avoidance Issues

AN: Not too much to say today. Time to get a peek into Mamo-chan's head. Thank you very much to Yasaboo, Comet Moon, guitarbabe2005, and Meatballheadedprincess14 for continuing to review. Big hugs go out to you! I will note that I hve completed the second chapter in the sequel, my first completed chapter in at least a year! 12-29-06

The senshi's plan was working. It had been over a week since any of them had seen Mamoru or Tuxedo Kamen. Luckily, three nights had been youma-free, so very late at night, three girls in fuku warily slipped out to the park for some training. Luna kept watch, ever ready to warn them of the caped one's approach.

The night after the junk-food binge, Ami had awakened with fresh concerns. True to form, she had quickly drawn up her thoughts on training for all of them, that they might be able to handle youma without Tuxedo Kamen. The only thing nagging her was how Tuxedo Kamen knew when and where the fight was. "If only we had been able to question him more." she lamented.

Rei sniffed. "We are the Sailor Senshi, Ami-chan! We shouldn't need some guy to rescue us. Sooner or later, we will have to fight on our own merits."

Usagi was silent, the knowledge that all of this was her fault weighing heavily on her. Her carelessness, her clumsiness, her lack of battle skills, and even her poor performance at school made her feel inferior to the Fire and Ice Senshi. It was no wonder she was so dependent on the mysterious masked man that miraculously showed up at every battle. She was a liability to her team. Her feelings of inferiority kept her from participating in the discussion about the new training regimen.

That inferiority, over the week, had found release in her training. Though she went home bone-tired and, more often than not, bruised, she felt successful. The fourth night, when a youma made its grand entrance at an outdoor party, Mercury and Mars seemed to share one mind. Fog filled the area only after Mars had sighted her target. Confused, the youma just stood there while Mars scorched it. As the creature hopped about howling, Moon swept into action, sending her tiara on a fatal collision course with the youma, her aim perfect.

It wasn't that Moon wasn't afraid. The youma still frightened her. But another encounter with Tuxedo Kamen scared her more. She couldn't shake the humiliation she felt. The look in Mamoru's eyes when he'd realized she and Usagi were the same person. The way he'd taunted her about his seeing her naked! If she so much as thought about it, her face flamed. Yet, there was more to it. Usagi felt afraid when he said her name. She didn't like the strange way it made her feel. She didn't understand the darkness in his eyes; the emotion in them was intense and unnerving. She hated the fact that his touch made her feel safe and protected when his eyes made her feel frightened and in grave danger. In her mind, in her dreams, Tuxedo Kamen had become a predator and she his prey. And she sensed he was the kind of predator who liked to toy with his prey before devouring them.

If Mamoru could have seen into her fears, into her psyche, he would have been pole-axed. He wasn't exactly having the greatest week of his life. If there was one thing Mamoru craved in his life, it was stability. His life, from the age of six, had been hardly stable. Waking up in a hospital, with no memory and no parents, was his first fully formed memory and it shaped who he was. Life in an orphanage, watching people come and go, children come and go, even staff come and go, he began to feel that life was haphazard. He began to believe that life was like a river. Over time, a river's course changes. What was once the land next to the river is underwater and the previous riverbed is now the bank. The next year, the river has veered in another direction. All the land the river could potentially fill is technically the river, but the water that flows constantly shifts its path and changes the land it touches. Mamoru felt like the floodplain, never knowing when his life would overflow with happiness or despair, or when everything around him would dry up. He hated it!

Once he left the orphanage, Mamoru had built his house upon the rock of stability. Schedules, study and predictability became his religion. He focused his eyes on one goal and strove towards it. Until a blonde ray of sunshine tossed her test paper on his head, that is. At first she was a minor irritation. But shortly after their first encounter, he'd found another blonde, a warrior who cried at her enemies. And he'd found himself clad in a tuxedo, spouting corny lines and giving her advice. Not to mention admiring the view as the senshi grew from one cute girl to three. Around the time the senshi group was growing, the civilian blonde was becoming a very regular annoyance.

It wasn't long before he had incorporated all six of these girls, and his alter ego, into a semblance of stability. He had rendered Usagi harmless by making her predictable. He saw her, he insulted her, she insulted him, the banter escalated til she got mad, she stomped off and he felt pleased. The battles were also fairly predictable. A pain in his chest told him she was in trouble, he transformed, he was guided to her, he distracted the youma from killing her, he told her to attack, she did, she turned to thank him and he disappeared. All very clean and simple.

Until he'd seen both those blondes naked. Oh, how his mind loved to remind him of that. Mamoru bent forward in the arcade, resting his head on his books. Why couldn't he block that image from his mind? Why couldn't he block her from his mind? He didn't want to think of Usagi. He didn't want to be sitting here in the arcade, waiting futilely yet again for her to show up. All week, he hadn't seen any of the girls. Not at the arcade, not on the street, not shopping and not at battles. By the time he showed up at the battles, all he found was a pile of dust. Once, he had arrived in time to see their shadows slipping away. He knew they were avoiding him.

It made sense. It would be what he would have advised her in Ami or Rei's place. As far as they knew, he was an enemy. He didn't even know if he was their enemy. He hoped not. He felt drawn to protect them in battle. Still, he thought with a frown, he didn't really feel drawn to protect her when she was simply Usagi. Okay, yeah, there was that time he rescued her cat. But, well, that was a cat! A helpless, little furball. Usagi . . . she was something else. She got under his skin faster than anyone else he'd ever met. She could infuriate him, though he didn't think she knew it. Even Motoki only knew she bugged him. No one knew just how angry she could make him. Or how hurt, lonely or rejected she could make him feel.

The way she had spoken to him that night on the rooftop still shook him. It unnerved him how deeply her rejection of him had cut. She had just left him standing there, feeling like the loneliest person in the world. She had reminded him how much lonely could hurt. All this week had been a lesson in loneliness. He would never confess how his hopes rose every time the arcade doors swished open, only to crash in disappointment. He would never admit how he couldn't help scanning the crowd for blonde buns. He began to wonder when he would ever see her again.

He needn't have worried so much. Fate, in her own slightly malicious manner, soon brought about another encounter. It was only a week and half since the alley discovery. Only a week and half of fear, anger, worry and sleepless nights for the pair. One was at the end of her tether. The other was a bit out of his head.

Usagi was tired. Nine late nights in a row, two failed tests and a third looming, and the dread of seeing either Rei or her mother had driven Usagi back to her old route home. Trudging past the arcade, she didn't protest when her feet led her into the air-conditioned bastion of Sailor V video games and energizing chocolate milkshakes. Feeling defeated and worn-out, she was oblivious to the cheery greeting from Motoki. But she did sense the haggard stare from Mamoru.

Mamoru was trying to focus on his text. Somehow, microbiology just wasn't as interesting as the arcade door's soft hissing. He had to work very hard not to turn and look to see who had come in, knowing Motoki had been watching him with concern. When Motoki's cheery voice sang out, "Hey, Usagi-chan!" however, nothing could have made him stay still. He spun about, his eyes taking in every detail.

They stared at each other for a long moment. Usagi mentally called herself every kind of idiot. She started backing up, but when Mamoru got up, clearly coming towards her, she decided to cut her losses and run. Not caring what anyone might think, she turned and dodged back out, certain he was on her tail. Which, of course, he was. She didn't actually run away from him, the sidewalks were too crowded. Mamoru stayed close to her, and when he finally got the chance, he reached out and caught her arm, turning her to face him.

"Usagi-chan . . ."

"Let go of me!" she yelled, trying to shake him off.

"Just listen . . ."

"You pervert!" Usagi was really upset now, but she kept her voice low. People ignored them. She refused to look at Mamoru; too afraid she would see contempt and mockery in his eyes. When tugging and twisting didn't free her arm, she opened her mouth to yell.

Mamoru caught her chin. "No. No yelling, Usagi." he warned, his own irritation rising.

Usagi finally looked at him, her eyes filled with anger at his commanding tone. "Don't tell me what to do!" she screamed in his ear.

Mamoru didn't really think. He was just so sick of the fighting, the yelling. Her face was so close. He just leaned in and kissed her. It wasn't a very long kiss, or even a very sweet one. Really just four lips meeting briefly. Still, Usagi jerked away as if stung. Her face flamed, which Mamoru was really beginning to find appealing. He watched her struggle for breath, her arm still caught, their bodies still close. He knew she was going to yell again. And just as the first syllable left her mouth, he kissed her again.

This time, he didn't release her right away. He waited to see if she would relax. Just when he was about to let her go, he felt her lean into him, heard a faint sigh. He held the kiss just a little longer, until he felt her pulled away from him. Angry voices fell on deaf ears as he watched Usagi blink slowly, as if waking up. Mamoru decided he liked this method of shutting Usagi up. Even a beating from Sailor Mars would be worth just one of Usagi's kisses.


	6. Hit or Kiss

AN: Well, already posting chapter 6. Only 2 more chapters after this one until the sequel. I put a bit character in here that I didn't describe much, since it's not like Haruna would talk to Usagi about it, but I had toyed a bit with a story about Haruna's life. In it Haruna meets an American businessman named Robert and they have a rocky relationship as they struggle to communicate in each other's languages and understand each other's cultures. It was half-inspired by an episode in Azumanga Daioh and half-inspired by my relationship while I was in Kyoto. Anyway, I chunked it, but kept the character of Robert in mind, so that's why Haruna's mooning over a guy with an English name. I also think Haruna sensei gets caricatured a lot in fan fiction and I wanted to flesh her out as a more human teacher. Big hugs and thanks to Yasaboo, Ookii Mamoru, Butterfle, and my 1 anonymous reviewer. Thank you especially for your honest reactions to my story and for sharing your thoughts with me! 12-30-03

The next day, a subdued Usagi made it to class rather early. Unable to sleep and tormented by those kisses she kept trying to forget, she had finally given up and decided to get a head-start on the day. She purposefully ignored her mother, who gasped in shock, clutching her spatula to her chest and staring at her daughter as if she had never seen her before. She had to work a little harder to ignore Shingo's teasing, but she was completely oblivious to her father's stunned expression. She scampered away from her house without answering any of their questions. From there, she wove her way through the streets, choosing the same path she had devised to avoid any morning encounters with Mamoru. If she had had justifiable reasons to avoid him after only bold looks and bolder words, how much more she desired to avoid him now!

The knowledge that she was early couldn't slow her steps. If she slowed down, she knew she would think about yesterday. And if she couldn't stop thinking about him, she was certain she'd go mad with all the questions she had no answers for. She entered the school quietly, avoiding the clumps of other early students. She made a beeline for her homeroom. Pausing at the doorway, she observed Haruna-sensei at the desk. Haruna-sensei was holding a note in one hand and a jewelry box in the other. She was looking at the note with sadness and exhaled, "Oh, Robert, I don't know whether to hit you or," she swiveled her head to look at the necklace in the box, "or kiss you."

Usagi couldn't help speaking. With a slight tinge of bitterness, she leaned against the door and muttered, "I know just what you mean."

Haruna-sensei squeaked and turned to face the door. Bewildered by the serious, soulful-eyed, early Usagi, she put the box and note down on the desk and began to rise. "Usagi-chan, you startled me." she reproached gently. Recalling the gloomy 14-year-old's words, her eyes grew worried. She followed Usagi as the girl made her way to her usual desk and then sat next to her. "Would you like to talk about it, Usagi-chan?" she queried gently.

Usagi's eyes flew up to meet her teacher's. Haruna-sensei wasn't yelling at her? She thought for a moment about the offer. Haruna-sensei didn't know Mamoru or about Usagi's alter ego. She wouldn't blow up about a guy kissing her like her dad would. And it wasn't like Haruna-sensei was her mom. Usagi couldn't imagine talking to her mom about this. Her mom would probably want to invite the baka over for cookies or something. Slightly disbelieving she was going to have a personal discussion with her teacher, she nodded shyly, her eyes revealing her hope and confusion.

"Guy trouble?" Haruna-sensei prompted. She was a bit worried, more so than she let on. Usagi was only 14, her youngest student. She was bubbly and pretty and clearly of the age when she was beginning to be interested in guys. What had Haruna-sensei worried was the type of men becoming interested in Usagi. She was pretty and noticeable enough to attract not only the attention of the hormonal teenage boys, but older men as well. Her teacher-sense was trilling out an alarm, causing her to monitor Usagi closely.

"Well," Usagi looked at her desk, one leg swinging about, expending some of her energy, "there's this guy I know. He's really cute, but a total jerk!" At Usagi's exclamation, a small chuckle escaped Haruna-sensei's twitching lips. Her blue eyes flew up, indignation coloring her cheeks, but a dark despair behind her eyes. "He thinks I'm stupid and clumsy and loud and a crybaby-ish nuisance and . . ." she stopped suddenly. Her head drooped, though not in reaction to any expression on Haruna-sensei's face. "And it's true." she murmured brokenly, hot tears rising up.

"Oh, Usagi-chan." Haruna-sensei sighed. "At your age, being clumsy and loud are normal. So is being emotional. You'll grow out of these things." Leaning forward, she spoke gently. "You are the youngest of your classmates. If you are comparing yourself to them, you are doing yourself a disservice. Everyone grows up on his or her own timeline. Everyone's personality is different. Don't be so hard on yourself." Usagi looked up at her, and Haruna-sensei gave her a smile. Then the smile faded as she continued, "As for stupid and ditzy, you are not. You just don't apply yourself." She was scolding lightly when she said the most astounding thing Usagi had ever heard, "That disappoints me because I know you can do better."

Usagi looked at Haruna-sensei as if she had never seen her before. Ami wasn't the only one who thought she could do better? Her teacher, the enemy, thought she was smarter than this? Her head protested this new line of thought. Her heart demanded Usagi stick to the problem at hand. Who better to ask about love-life problems than Haruna-sensei anyway? She filed Haruna-sensei's comments away for later thought. "Well," she began again, "it's what he's said. But," here the girl colored with embarrassment, "I say some mean things to him, too."

Haruna-sensei had no trouble imagining that. Although most of the time Usagi was as sweet as you please, she had seen her lose her cool at Umino-kun on occasion. Sensing Usagi was holding something back, she prompted her with an encouraging, "Mmmhmmm?"

Usagi got the hint. "We had a really big fight over a week ago. He even made Ami-chan and Rei-chan angry."

Now that did surprise her teacher. Ami-chan? Angry? "What did he do?"

"Umm," Usagi hedged. She imagined telling her teacher that she was Sailor Moon. Needing to transform, she had slipped into an alley, which Mamoru had accidentally followed her into. There, both transforming into their super-hero selves, they had seen each other naked. Right, like she could tell her teacher some guy had seen her naked in an alley! There was no way to make that fact not seemed perverted. She did the only thing she could. She ignored the question. "So, until yesterday, we avoided him. But, after that horrid test yesterday, well, I ran into him. We argued, I yelled at him and . . ." she paused, blushing furiously. For a moment, she just couldn't quite get the confession past her lips. Then, on what sounded suspiciously like a sigh, she blurted it out, "He kissed me."

Haruna-sensei blinked. "He kissed you?"

"Yup," Usagi nodded glumly, confessing, "and I got even angrier. So I guess to keep me from yelling, he kissed me again. The first kiss was really short. It made me so angry! But the second kiss . . ." she paused again, searching for the words, "I liked."

Haruna-sensei was confused. "What a minute. Did he force you to kiss him?"

Usagi looked at the righteous anger in her teacher's eyes. "Ummm, I could have pulled away if I had wanted to." she assured her teacher. Even as she said it, she realized it was the truth. Mamoru had kissed her, but she had kissed him back. "But I don't understand why he kissed me if he hates me? And why I kissed him back if I hate him?"

"I don't think hate is the emotion either of you are feeling, Usagi-chan. But I do understand your confusion." Voices in the hall warned them they were about to be intruded upon. "Stay in with me at lunch, Usagi-chan, if you want to talk more." she invited sincerely. Usagi nodded and gave her a tremulous smile, the "thank-you" stuck in her throat. Miraculously, Haruna-sensei, for once, seemed to understand.

Ami arrived a moment later, entering and gazing at Usagi speculatively. Usagi blushed and ducked her head, deciding she'd make up any reason she could in order to stay in with Haruna-sensei and avoid the questions she could see in Ami's eyes.

When class was over, Naru invited Ami and Usagi to go to the arcade together. Usagi eagerly accepted, figuring that if Naru was there, Mamoru would stay away and that neither Ami nor Rei would interrogate her. They arranged to meet Rei on the way, Usagi pretending to call Rei's cell phone but really using the communicator in her watch. Rei was ahead of them, so she checked out the arcade, then came back to meet them, silently conveying to the two senshi that Mamoru was not there . . . yet. Rei teasingly complimented Usagi on avoiding detention, to which Usagi replied by sticking her tongue out companionably. All four girls laughed, entering the arcade with a swish of automatic doors and claiming an empty booth.

Motoki was not long in bringing the laughing group their orders, happy to see them again. Soon Usagi was regaling them with her early morning tale of Haruna-sensei's latest romantic woes. "She was just sitting there looking at the note and . . ."

Mamoru entered, and noticing his quarry and the relative inattention of the group in his direction, he slipped silently up behind Usagi who was imitating Haruna-sensei's lament. "I don't know whether to hit you . . . or kiss you!" Usagi exclaimed with a flourish.

"Well, I prefer the second option, but I suppose we could discuss it." Mamoru supplied silkily, bending over her at a near right-angle. Usagi leaned back, tilting her head up to see the speaker, her lips parted slightly. She stared directly up at him, in some confusion and surprise. He grinned down at her, drawing her eyes to his lips. Nervously, she licked her suddenly dry lips, her eyes widening when his eyes moved to follow the path of her tongue. Like magnets, they were drawn towards each other, her eyes fluttering shut, but just before their lips could touch, a hand intercepted them.

Usagi's eyes flew open, Rei's hand practically pushing her down in her seat. Naru was looking back and forth in shock, from the almost kissing couple to the furious two girls. Rei was standing on her seat, leaning over the table, eyes shooting flames at Mamoru. He met her eyes, challenging her without a word, even as he lazily straightened. However, wary of starting another fight, especially in public, he subsided, tossing her a lazy grin. Usagi half-turned in her seat to watch him go, but when he tossed her a promising wink, she turned beet-red and whirled back, eyes studying the table.

Rei turned her glare to Usagi. Feeling the miko's fiery glare, she weakly met her friend's eyes, then shrugged. Rei flung herself back in her seat, furious with Usagi, whose head hung even lower. All she'd asked the ditz to do was avoid one guy and she couldn't do it!

She let out an exasperated sigh.

Mamoru was watching from his usual seat at the counter. He could read her like a book. He could easily detect the confusion roiling in her and could practically feel her panic at her attraction to him. Well, he felt the same there. Their attraction was irresistible now that they'd kissed. He'd proved that with the almost-kiss just now. She was nervous and wary of him, because of this abrupt shift in their relationship, which he, too, was dealing with.

He was concerned because he felt she was too young for him. When she had called him hentai, it had made him angrier than he had ever been in his life. And he feared ever hearing that dirty, hurtful word again, from anyone. Although he was fairly certain Usagi hadn't understood the full extent of the insult she had hurled at him, it had hurt him a great deal. But more painful to him was the distrust rolling off of her, the distrust that had begun in that alley and was, in his eyes, in no way abating. She was afraid of him. He didn't understand why. He knew understanding it would be of no comfort. What he wanted was her trust, her friendship . . . well, to be honest, he wanted more than friendship. He wasn't fully sure of what he wanted. A relationship with a 14-year-old crybaby? Even as he thought the harsh question he was upset with himself, justifying her easy tears to himself. He wanted her in his life again, and he knew, no matter what else, just friends wasn't going to be enough.

Usagi turned again, self-consciously aware of the gaze boring into her back. When her eyes met Mamoru's, she shivered. Something had made him angry. He was looking at her the way a mighty tiger looks at his prey. She gulped as a smile crossed his lips. It was full of hidden meaning and obvious confidence, the confidence of a predator. To her, it clearly stated, "I'm gonna get you." Now the only question left in her mind was, did she want to be caught? Did she want to hit him or kiss him? What was it he had said that night? 'A kiss and I'm all yours.' Still staring at him, she absently nibbled her lip. She knew the choice she made would be permanent. If she hit him, told him to go away, he would go, forever. But if she chose the kiss, he'd be in her heart forever.

As if he could read her mind, his gaze challenged her, seeming to say, "Did you ever have to finally decide?"


	7. Falling

AN: Wow, my last post for 2006. This story will be completed tomorrow. Will post the first 2 chapters of the sequel and then I'm sorry to say it will be time to move on to another story (yes, I will continue to write the sequel). I have a completed 4 chapter one, a 12 chapter incomplete one, and 3 one-shots to put up. All these stories are U/M, OHC-inspired, first season discovery fics. I just don't know what to put up first. The one-shots, the completed 4 chapter one (it doesn't have a sequel), or the 12-chapter one that is my other goal to finish. Also, I've received another OHC challenge contest, so I may be starting another story. . . I'm really excited. I just don't know which fandom to write it in . . .

Anywhozles, thank you to Aislinn Cailin and Butterfle. Now about those cookies . . . 12-31-06 Happy New Year everybody! Don't forget to eat soba before midnight ;). /bows formally/

It was a lonely walk home for Usagi. Rei and Ami had simply refused to speak to her after the almost-kiss. Naru, sensitive as always to Usagi's feelings, had decided Usagi needed to be alone, to think. She had excused herself quickly, claiming her mother had told her to be home early and she had forgotten. She asked Usagi to walk her home. Once out of sight of the arcade, however, Naru had told Usagi to go home.

"But . . ." the blonde began to protest, confused.

"Usagi-chan, I don't know what happened or almost happened back there, but I can tell you're confused. You should go home, take some time to think."

"Naru-chan," Usagi cut her off, "all I do is think! I haven't had a decent moment's rest since . . ." she trailed off, miserable because she had to hide the truth of who she was once again. The only people who knew everything were no longer available to her to talk with. "Stupid Mamoru!" she snarled finally.

Naru had long sensed that Usagi hid something from her and she tried not to be hurt by it. She had known Usagi for so long that she automatically trusted her. If Usagi had a secret, anyway, sooner or later, Naru would learn it. Or Umino would. "Usagi-chan, I'm always here to listen." She started to turn away, but Usagi caught her arm.

"Care to listen now?"

Naru smiled gently, but inside, she was thrilled. Ever since Mizuno Ami had come to Juuban, Usagi had been drifting away. Naru had been waiting quite a while now for Usagi to need her friendship again. It was hard not to show Usagi her joy. Besides, it took her own mind off strange thoughts of that handsome millionaire and monsters in the night.

The two girls wandered slowly through the shopping district. "Mamoru, he, well, he's been acting really weird lately. About two weeks ago, we ran into each other and . . ." Usagi struggled, trying to figure out how to explain without explaining, "something changed between us. I . . . I don't know how to describe it, but the way he looks at me, it changed. It went from the hateful smirk and arrogant superiority to . . . to . . ." She sighed, trying to cut through her rambling and stuttering. "It's like he's a wolf and I'm a helpless sheep!" Naru's eyes grew wide, but she waited for Usagi to finish. "It scares me! So, I've been avoiding him." Naru nodded. Usagi sped up. "But then, yesterday, I had that horrible day and I just, I didn't want to get home and get yelled at for my test grade, and I didn't want to see Rei and get yelled at, either. Somehow, I ended up at the arcade. The second I walked in, I knew I'd made a big mistake. He looked up and," she shivered, "he looked like he was furious with me. I didn't think, I tried to run away, but you know how crowded it is . . ."

Naru put her hand on her friend's shoulder. "Breathe, Usagi-chan. You don't have to race to the end." She gave Usagi a warm smile.

Usagi shook her head, "No, I have to just get this out." She gave Naru a serious look and Naru grew worried, noting the paleness of Usagi's skin. Dark smudges under her eyes also confirmed her story about not resting well. "He followed me. He grabbed my arm and I yelled at him. He gave me this look of irritation and . . . and . . . he kissed me." Naru gasped. "It was just a really quick kiss, and it made me so mad! That baka was my first kiss!" Before Naru could say anything or try to soothe her friend, Usagi practically sobbed out a bigger shocker. "And when I yelled at him for that, he kissed me again and I . . . I kissed him back!" Silent tears were tracking down her face. "What's wrong with me, Naru-chan? I hate him! He hates me! But I liked it, I liked his kiss! And then today! And I just know he's toying with me."

"Toying with you?" Naru was stunned and hurting for her friend, but trying to make sense of all of this.

Usagi was raving now, tears still dripping down her face. "He's always so mean! He taunts me about my grades, my hair, because I cry, because I fall down a lot, because I'm loud . . . he teases me about a million things! And then, when I talked to Haruna-sensei about it, she suggests he doesn't hate me! She even suggested I don't hate him! But I do! I do hate him! I hate the way he does everything so perfectly. Have you seen they way girls just drool all over him when he walks by? Why can't he pay attention to one of them, instead of making a point of embarrassing me? I can embarrass myself just fine all alone!"

Naru looked around and had to agree. People were giving them odd looks and edging past them, even though there was plenty of room on the sidewalk. Shaking her head, she brought the conversation back to an interesting point. "You talked to Haruna-sensei about this?"

Usagi nodded. "I had to talk to someone."

Naru was thoughtful. "You know, you talk to just about everyone about Mamoru-san."

Usagi gaped, "What? I do not!"

Naru nodded firmly. "You do. Think about this, Usagi-chan. If you really hate him, then why can't you stop talking about him constantly? It seems to me that you're in love."

Usagi stared at her as if she had grown two heads for a long moment. Then she turned bright red, but not in a blush. "What?" she shrieked. "Naru-chan, I can't believe you would say that to me! I thought you understood me!" Before Naru could say or do anything, Usagi burst into fresh tears and took off running. Naru hung her head, disappointed in herself for not predicting Usagi's reaction.

Usagi was home before she had finished crying, her feet not betraying her once, curiously enough. She flew into the house, barely mumbling an "I'm home." before she locked herself in her room.

Her mother looked up the stairs at the closed door, the bunny sign still swinging wildly and sighed. "Teenagers." She shared a glance with Luna, then shrugged. "I guess I'll just have to wait this stage out, kitty." She returned to the kitchen, wondering idly if she'd been like this at that age. Luna slunk silently up the steps, knowing her charge needed her.

She scratched and pawed at the door until it opened. Her eyes grew sad as she gazed at the girl flung across the bed, muffled sobs reaching her ears. "Usagi-chan?"

"G'way, Luna!" Usagi ordered, her mouth full of damp pillowcase. Luna leapt on to the bed. "Luna!" Usagi snapped.

"I'm not a dog, Usagi! You can't order me around." Luna sniped primly.

Usagi made a strangled sound and decided to ignore the purring feline nuisance. Who had decided she needed a feline guardian anyway? Her disposition was quite sour and she was hardly in the mood to be humored by a cat. Still, she made an attempt to calm down. But Naru and Haruna-sensei's voices kept cycling in her head. As did Mamoru's. Why wouldn't he go away? She just wanted 5 minutes peace from thinking about him. The memory of that second kiss re-surfaced and she almost lost herself in it again, remembering how, just for that moment, all their tension and anger and confusion had slipped away, leaving a different kind of tension, a strange need to stay in his arms. But that couldn't be a good thing, could it? She forcibly pulled herself out of the memory.

Luna went flying when Usagi suddenly bounced into an upright position. She was chewing on her bottom lip. Her eyes felt angry and sore, but her mind was reeling with questions. She slipped out of her room and bathed her face with cool water in the bathroom. Gazing at her reflection, she softly asked herself, "Why do I want to kiss him again? Why do I feel safe in his arms? Why does he have the power to upset me so? When Shingo teases me, I get angry. Mom says it's because I love him that I can get so angry. She says the same about Rei-chan. Because she's so important to me, her unkind words hurt so much more. So . . . is that true about Mamo-chan?" She paused, her reflection looking startled and scared. "What did I just say?" she whispered to herself.

She stumbled blindly back to her room, wondering if the infatuation she had with Tuxedo Kamen had now spilled over to Mamoru, just because they were the same person. And yet, they weren't the same person! In fact, her stubborn mind insisted, ever since they'd discovered each other's identities, it was as if Mamoru had killed off Tuxedo Kamen. At least personality-wise.

At that moment, she was distracted by the beeping of her watch. As she grabbed it, she continued walking, knowing she would have to make an escape out the window. Mercury was urgent and brief. "Park, now!" Usagi nodded pointlessly, then tripped over Luna. The watch flew out of her hand, sailing out her window and she fell to the floor, hard.

Luna leapt out of the way in the nick of time. "Usagi! What were you thinking?"

"Strangely enough, whatever I was thinking of just went right out of the window." she mumbled from the floor. Luna gave her an odd look. "Gotta go, Luna." Usagi plucked Luna off the windowsill and tossed her onto the bed. Then she clambered up and onto the tree branch nearest the house.

A voice rose up from beneath her. "Drop something?"

Usagi gasped in shock and let go of the branch. "Ohhhhhh!" She squeezed her eyes shut, expecting hard ground, but was firmly caught by two arms. She kept her eyes shut, knowing who she would see if she opened her eyes and not wanting to. She just wasn't ready for this.

"Usagi-chan, are you okay?" Mamoru was worried, yet slightly amused. That crumpled face she was making was so cute!

She nodded, but didn't speak. She was holding herself extremely still and he had the feeling she was wishing that when she opened her eyes, she would be safe in her room.

"Open your eyes, Usagi-chan. Before your furball has a heart attack." Usagi opened her eyes, gazing up at her window. Luna's eyes were practically popping out of her head!

"Please put me down." She didn't talk to him, but at him.

He did, but he wasn't pleased. "Usagi-chan."

"Thank you for catching me, but if you hadn't been here it wouldn't have been necessary." Her voice was distant and she was watching Luna recover and jump into the tree. Then her eyes narrowed and she finally looked at him. He was holding her watch in her face and she took it with some annoyance. "What are you doing here anyway?"

"You've been avoiding me. You really shouldn't. I don't know much else, but I know I'm supposed to protect you. But I can't protect you if I don't find you until after the battles are over. So I figured I should stay close by, so you can't avoid me at the next battle. I asked Motoki where you lived."

"You . . . you . . ." Usagi was flummoxed. "You do realize he's going to think you like me. And tell everyone!"

Mamoru shrugged. "Look, Usagi-chan, you know I don't remember my past. I'm as confused as you are about what's going on with Beryl, with our lives, and whose side I'm on, but I do know one thing. I know that I'm supposed to be there for you. And only for you, Sailor Moon." She looked as if she was going to protest and he covered her mouth with one finger. Luna sat above, in pouncing position, watching. "I don't know why, but it's something I have to, need to do. And I always will."

Usagi was chilled by the promise in his voice. He sounded so certain, so determined. He removed his finger self-consciously. Nervously, she licked her lips, then caught the bottom one to chew on.

His eyes darkened, focused on her lips. "I was wrong. I'm certain about two things." He looked into her wide eyes. "I'm going to kiss you now." He bent over her slowly, giving her plenty of time to back away.

She didn't. She let her eyes drift closed, tilted her head back, and waited for his kiss. She anticipated the funny thrill of his touch. She wondered if this kiss would be like the last one, full of confused feelings and panic and excitement. She could feel his breath soft on her face. And then . . . her watch erupted in sound, Mars yelling at her. "Hey, Odango Brain! Where are you?"

They jumped apart, feeling guilty. Usagi shook her head. "I . . ."

Mamoru seemed to know what she wanted to say. "I guess we'll just have to wait til later." He gave her a rueful grin, then caught her arm and pulled her after him in an all out race to the park.


	8. Her Choice

AN: Well, here we go, last chapter of this story, then on to the sequel!! Thank you to OoOSakuraOoO, Zoey89, Taeniaea, and Butterfle for reviewing and thank you to all my readers and reviewers! The sequel's name and summary can be found at the end of this chapter. Hope you all had a safe and fun New Year's Eve and that 2007 is full of good people, good food, and good opportunities for everyone. 1-1-07

Sailor Moon had successfully avoided her friends after the battle, slipping away while Mercury's fog still provided her some cover. The battle had been easier than the ones of late, because she knew he was there, watching, ready to help and, most importantly, because the unbearable state of emotional flux she was in was about to end. She was waiting for him now at the far end of the park, near the lake. Her legs were shaking so badly that she had opted for the safer choice of kneeling by the water's edge. Nervously, she chewed her lip and wondered how well this discussion was going to go. And the butterflies in her stomach about the kiss she knew they both wanted were driving her absolutely insane!

When she heard him approach, she rose and turned to face him. He was amused and touched to note that she was blushing in the moonlight and she refused to look directly at him, her gaze skittering over him and the sky and the woods behind them. He pulled his cape off dramatically, the action startling her. He gave her what he hoped was a reassuring smile as he covered the dew-damp grass with his cape. He had her full attention now, as he tossed aside his mask and top hat, then held out a gloved hand towards her. Her blush deepened as she took it and allowed him to seat her next to him on the satiny cape. "Hi." he whispered silkily.

"Hi." she murmured back, her voice barely louder than the rippling of the lake's surface. She twisted her skirt futilely in her nervous hands and snuck peeks at him from beneath her lashes, face tinted a deep rose pink. He shifted on the grass and her heart leapt into her throat. Was he going to kiss her now? Her mind started screaming, he is, he is! But he simply moved a little closer to her, crossing his long, elegant legs out in front of him, his gloved hand resting on hers.

"Sailor Moon?" His voice was low, but the concern in it was clear. She raised her eyes to his and his heart twisted. He could read so much in the depths of her beautiful blue eyes. She was nervous, a little afraid, but excited too, cautious and curious. The blend of emotion in her eyes held a hint of something else, something he thought was too strong to be affection. Attraction was part of it, but a tiny part of him hoped and prayed that what he saw was love. Holding her gaze, he leaned slowly down, tilting his head to kiss her, giving her lots of time to break away. It was torture, but he had to make this just right. Her head lifted, her eyes closed expectantly and he sighed in relief. She was going to let him kiss her.

His lips were a second from hers and he was anticipating the thrill of the kiss, when she suddenly spoke. "You told me you meant what you said, about a kiss."

He pulled back, disappointment filling him. "Hmm?" he articulated intelligently.

"A kiss and you are all mine?" She sounded questioning, as if uncertain that it was true.

"All yours." he confirmed. "If you want me, that is." Now he was the one sounding uncertain.

She pulled away, standing and shifting her weight nervously from foot to foot. He smiled and moved next to her, catching her hand and studying it. "Have you decided?" She gave him a confused look. "Whether to hit me or . . ."

"Kiss you." she finished softly. She was still staring at the ground. He waited, but wasn't prepared when she next spoke. "How can I decide if I don't have all the facts?"

"Uh, what do you mean?"

"Why do you want the Ginzuishou? Why do you protect us?" If Ami was there, she would have been so proud of Usagi.

Tuxedo Kamen pushed away from her, stalking away a bit, dragging his hand through his hair. "I should have expected this." he muttered.

"I have to know!" Moon pleaded, willing him to understand. "I . . . We have our mission and it's im . . . imperative we complete it." She was speaking fast and hardly breathing. "I jeopardize the mission enough as it is. I can't . . ."

He stopped her from speaking by pulling her against him. Her stroked her hair with one hand and spoke softly, "I understand, Sailor Moon, I do. I just . . ." She stared up at him, watching him wrestle with himself for a moment.

He was silent for a long moment. Just as she began to fear his face would get stuck in that wrinkled, almost pained expression, he sighed. "The truth is I don't know why I protect you. But it's like I'm linked to you and I have to help you. When you are in danger, I feel a physical pain. I have no idea why." He looked down at her. Her lips were rounded in a silent expression of sympathy and sadness. How badly he wanted to kiss her right now! But he forced himself to open up about the most precious and torturous secret he had. "As for the Ginzuishou, I have these dreams. There's a princess; I can't see much more than the outline of her form and her white dress. She is standing with her back to me but she's calling to me, begging me to find the Ginzuishou and set her free. I don't understand why, but the dream comes every night."

Moon stepped away from him, visibly upset. "You've seen the Moon Princess." He sent her a puzzled look. "We're searching for the Ginzuishou because it belongs to her and we are also searching for her. We are her Senshi." She looked down for a long moment, thinking hard. "If she is speaking to you, then you must have a strong bond with her."

"Why?"

"None of us have heard from her. And we are the closest people to her, according to our mentor." She shook her head. "No." She raised tearful eyes to his. "You must be the Princess' soul mate. I am her Senshi. We should not let this happen. It's wrong!"

"A dream princess is not real. How could she claim me when I have never met her? I love you, Sailor Moon." Now he flushed, having definitely not intended to say that but realizing just how true he felt is was.

"And what about when she shows up? What about then? You can't promise to be mine because she could show up anytime."

"Then she's too late." Kamen stated coldly. "It's my life, Usa-chan. And I am choosing you."

Moon's tears spilled over. "You don't know what you are saying." she whimpered helplessly. Her heart urged her to shut up and kiss him and her brain was in full agreement. The man wanted to be hers, let him, and let the Princess cry. But a small part of her felt a deep loyalty to the Princess she didn't know and it kept her rooted to the spot.

Tuxedo Kamen decided it was time to take control. He caught her chin and tilted her head up. "I'm going to kiss you. I really want you to kiss me back. If you don't, I'll go away. But, if you do, I swear to be yours forever." He brushed away a few of her tears, but his speech had caused them to fall faster. He slid one hand behind her back, pulling her closer, and touched his lips to hers, his heart racing. The thrill of kissing her was mixed with a fear that she would send him away.

Sailor Moon was still beneath his kiss, frozen in place, senses reeling. She'd waited so long for a kiss from her hero, probably longer than he even imagined. But just when she thought she was finally going to settle everything, finally get that kiss she needed more than air, she finds out that he belongs to her Princess! It was so unfair, she wailed mentally. She had fallen in love with him, he said he loved her, but they couldn't be together! She couldn't steal another girl's guy. Especially not the girl she was supposed to protect! How could she ever face her Princess? What if when the Princess came, he realized he'd made a mistake? She couldn't bear it if he left her. Oh, but his lips felt so right on hers, her heart whispered. She felt safe, protected, loved, and cherished. His kiss made her, clumsy Usagi, feel like a princess. His words echoed in her mind, "I love you, Sailor Moon." Fresh tears traced her cheeks.

Tuxedo Kamen tasted her tears. He was certain she would pull away any second now. He'd given her so long to respond, it was obvious she had chosen her Princess over him. He supposed he understood. She was, after all, the leader of the Princess's guard. If she failed her Princess, who would protect her from Queen Beryl? And he was certain Beryl knew about the Moon Princess. Still, he growled to the cruel fate that mocked him at every turn, he was going to get a farewell kiss from Usagi, even if she didn't respond. He kissed her harder, more passionately, pulling her against him, molding her to him. He was vaguely surprised when she didn't resist. But the surprise was pushed away by excitement and triumph when he felt her arms snake about his waist and her lips push experimentally at his.

Sailor Moon, no, Usagi surrendered to her heart. It was her best and worst character trait, but she trusted her heart more than her mind or even the advice of her friends. Her heart made it so simple. He loves you, you love him, end of problem. If he had been able to look in her eyes with that depth of conviction and tell her the Princess would not take him away from her, she simply had to believe him. Her mind was silenced by her heart's demands and the sudden change in Tuxedo Kamen's kiss; she all but threw herself into his arms, allowing him to mold her to him as she kissed him back. She was shy and hesitant, uncertain if she was kissing him right, but she was not going to lose him. One kiss, she thought hazily as his tongue gently sought entrance to her mouth. She gasped for breath, then moaned when he boldly claimed her mouth, seeking out her tongue. Her last coherent thought was "All mine." Her body filled with a strange tension and a singing joy as she mimicked the movements of his mouth on hers. A cat-like grin played on her lips when he rewarded her with a groan and his gloved hands pulled her even closer to him.

Mars and Mercury were not pleased. Mercury had pulled out her computer to track Sailor Moon as soon as they realized she was gone. They had been highly suspicious of her sudden disappearance and then Luna had appeared and told them that Mamoru had been hanging around Usagi's house. The senshi and cat arrived on the scene mere moments after Sailor Moon surrendered to the overwhelming need to kiss Tuxedo Kamen. Mercury gasped, blushed and returned her gaze to the computer screen, completely embarrassed. Mars muttered a fiery-sounding expletive and glared angrily at Tuxedo Kamen, ready to blast him into space for daring to touch Sailor Moon again. Luna, however, was strangely silent, her eyes seeing a double image that she couldn't quite make out. For some reason, she wasn't worried any longer. The two just seemed so . . . right.

Sailor Moon was lost in the heaven of Tuxedo Kamen's kiss and hadn't noticed the arrival of the others. Tuxedo Kamen, however, had heard Mars' expletive and intentionally drew the kiss out just a little longer before finally drawing away from Sailor Moon's sweet, inviting lips. She blinked slowly up at him, cheeks flushing, her lips looking thoroughly kissed. He gave her a gentle grin, then turned her slightly to face her friends. He kept an arm possessively about her waist, the other rubbing her back reassuringly. She knew he was silently telling her he wouldn't leave, not this time.

Sailor Moon grinned weakly at Mars, and joked, "Somehow I don't think that look in your eyes means you're happy to see me. I'm about to be throttled, aren't I?"

Mars rolled her eyes and snapped, "You ditz! What do you think you are doing, running off with him like that? He could be the enemy!"

Moon stared at Mars seriously, sensing the concern in her friend's voice behind the anger. "He's not, Rei-chan." She glanced up at him and he knew she was going to have to tell them about what he had told her. He nodded. "He's seeking the Princess, too."

"What?" three voices shrieked. Only Luna seemed to recover quickly, a look in her eyes that seemed to be filled with dawning comprehension.

"And I love him." Luna sighed softly. Mars and Mercury exchanged a look, their shoulders sagging. What could they do against love?

"And I love her." Tuxedo Kamen stressed, still wary they might try to take her away from him.

"Truly?" Mars demanded. He nodded and she strode right up to them, waving a fist under his nose. "Then don't ever let me find out you hurt her." she warned darkly. He nodded grimly, knowing she'd have to stand in line behind himself if he ever did hurt her.

Sailor Moon's eyes filled with tears and she leapt at her friend, squealing, "Rei-chan!" Mars barely withstood the bear hug attack her best friend and leader unleashed on her, but the embarrassed smile on her face was tinged with happiness. Mercury glanced at them both, then found herself caught up in the hug as well, as Tuxedo Kamen and Luna smiled at them fondly.

He gave them a minute of laughing and hugging before he pulled Moon out of the huddle. "Can I have a good night kiss, Sailor Moon?" he teased, lightly tugging on one ponytail. "I'd really love a good night's sleep." She giggled and tilted her face up for his kiss, knowing they both would finally sleep well. Now that their hearts were safely in each other's care, she was convinced nothing would ruin her sleep again.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Tune in tomorrow for chapter one of The Princess Problem! This story is in-progress with two completed chapters and the third being written now.

Summary: First season. Usagi and Mamoru are together, but the dreams of the princess haven't stopped. Jupiter has been awakened. When a new senshi appears, Mamoru's vow that he will only love Sailor Moon is put to an interesting test. Which senshi is the real Sailor Moon? Usagi will meet her Princess and face losing her hero. Sequel to An Unlikely Encounter, but this one isn't an OHC.


End file.
